Rutgers Spycam Defendant Could Be Deported; Jurors Seek Clarification on More Serious Charge
The Rutgers University student accused of webcam spying on his roommate’s same-sex romantic encounter could be deported if he is convicted.
Jurors in New Brunswick, N.J., will begin a second day of deliberations today in the case against Dharun Ravi, who is accused of invasion of privacy and bias intimidation. On Wednesday, jurors asked the judge for clarification of the more serious bias intimidation charge, report the New York Times and the New Jersey Star-Ledger.
The roommate, Tyler Clementi, killed himself soon after the spying incident.
To find Ravi guilty of bias intimidation, jurors must first find him guilty of invasion of privacy, the stories say. Judge Glenn Berman told jurors that a person is guilty of bias intimidation if he commits an offense with the purpose to intimidate an individual because of sexual orientation.
Ravi could be sentenced to years in prison and deported to India if he is convicted, especially if he is convicted of the most serious charges, the Associated Press reports. Ravi had rejected a plea deal last year that called for no prison sentence and help avoiding deportation, AP says.
Previous coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Man Accused of Driving Rutgers Roommate to Suicide Faces New Grand Jury Charges”
ABAJournal.com: “Rutgers E-Mail Sought re Now-Dead Student’s Complaint Roomie Was Spying on Him”
ABAJournal.com: “Prosecutor Weighs Hate Crime Charges Against Classmates Accused of Secretly Streaming Sex Encounter”
